THERE was a time when Villa were bigger than United. A proud club from a buzzing area at the very heart of 1970s industrial Britain. But how times have changed since those halcyon days.

When Villa last won at Old Trafford, the date is etched in every fans' memory: November 5 1983. They had held the European Super Cup for 10 months and Brummie music was king.

Duran Duran and UB40 were top of the charts after a period of musical domination started by the likes of The Diplomats, ELO, The Spencer Davis Group and Wizzard, and carried on by Black Sabbath, The Move and Judas Priest.

But Manchester took over. The Bee Gees, Joy Division, Sad Cafe and 10CC started a trend that The Smiths, New Order and the rest of the 'Madchester' scene of James, 808 State, Inspiral Carpets, The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses then steamrollered.

By the time Simply Red, The Verve and Take That arrived on the scene, United were enjoying far more of a monopoly on the English game than Villa - the sport's first true powerbrokers - had ever enjoyed in the days of baggy shorts and handshakes that weren't contrived to sickly anthems.

Villa's 12th game without a win was bad enough in a week when their rivals attempted to 'nab' their entire history.

Having been dumped out of the FA Cup, unluckily so, they then had a full-strength Manchester United, with a number of refreshed players, waiting for them for a third time in three weeks.

It was enough to make you weep.

The defeat set a new top-flight club record for Villa against a single opponent, beating their 22-game winless run against Spurs in the 1950s and 1960s.

They have slipped from third to 15th in two short months and that transfer window, already open for a fortnight, had better open a damn sight wider for Martin O'Neill within the next seven days.

Villa had already survived one scare when, from Gary Neville's cross, Henrik Larsson powered a header goalwards which was kept out by a superb one-handed diving save from the fit-again Thomas Sorensen.

But two goals in 98 seconds killed off any hopes of a rare point in front of a club record crowd 76,073.

The first was a gift: another Neville cross, a panicking defence and a Gary Cahill error allowed Ji-sung Park to finish inside the far post from 12 yards.

The nightmare continued when Park stepped inside Wilfred Bouma and laid the ball across to Michael Carrick, who picked exactly the same spot as the ball nestled into the far corner despite a gallant effort from Sorensen to keep it out.

Then Gavin McCann was caught in possession by Park, Carrick crossed from the right and Ronaldo planted a free header home.

The surprise was that Wayne Rooney hadn't yet got in on the act, but he almost did. Having twisted and turned away from Cahill he sent his shot a whisker away from the right-hand post.

Villa were being picked off at will but had some rare moments themselves. Isaiah Osbourne flashed a header wide from Gareth Barry's cross, Gabby Agbonlahor shot straight at Edwin Van der Sar after teasing Patrice Evra, then Liam Ridgewell sent a free header straight at the keeper from Barry's corner.

Paul Scholes missed a free header as the second half opened with Villa then, incredibly, giving the away fans something to shout about other than rejoice at Lee Hendrie's winding-up routine of the home fans from the touchline.

Agbonlahor reduced the arrears with a simple tap-in after the frustratingly poor Milan Baros had reached the byline after beating Nemanja Vidic and squared across the goalmouth.

Baros had one of those days. Disinterested, as he has been for much of the season, limping off at half-time and reappearing some moments after the rest of his teammates as they arrived for the second half of an expected onslaught.

Villa improved with Aaron Hughes put out of his misery. Handed a role in front of the back four he will have got closer to Ronaldo and Rooney in the car park.

Under normal circumstances Villa could have rattled a lesser side as they started to have a real go.

But after rising from a momentary slumber United grew angry.

Sorensen saved from Rooney after rushing off his line and substitute Louis Saha's shot was saved on the line by Cahill.

Another superb save by the keeper denied Larsson a first Premiership goal.

Then Rooney smashed a shot against the crossbar and Sorensen did well, again, to deny Ronaldo by blocking his shot when he was clean through.